sport news Farewell, The Goalie: Goram is Rangers' all-time No 1 and was the equal of ... trends now
When you think of iconic figures from Rangers' nine-in-a-row era, certain names immediately spring to mind. Any mention of them will evoke a goldmine of cherished memories for the club's supporters.
Whether it was the mercurial midfield talents of Gazza, the wing wizardry and artistry of Laudrup, or the strength and leadership of Gough.
The goalscoring talents of poacher extraordinaire McCoist, or Walter, the managerial mastermind who oversaw the whole operation.
Legendary Rangers and Scotland goalkeeper Andy Goram (pictured celebrating as a Queen of the South player above) died from cancer at 58
Now, though, Rangers fans are united in their grief for a man who was known simply as The Goalie.
Andy Goram, the club's greatest-ever goalkeeper, will rightly be viewed in the same light as all of the aforementioned Ibrox legends.
To understand just how good Goram was in his pomp, it is instructive to look around Europe at some of the other leading keepers in the '90s.
Down south, Manchester United had Peter Schmeichel. Arsenal had Dave Seaman and together they were viewed as the best in the newly-formed English Premier League.
Looking a little further afield, there was also an abundance of terrific goalkeepers on the continent.
Goram made 43 appearances for Scotland and was No 1 at both Euros in 1992 and 1996
Germany could call on Euro 96 hero Andreas Kopke, as well as Bayern Munich star Oliver Kahn.
Holland had Edwin van der Sar, who had won a Champions League with Ajax before moving on to the likes of Juventus and Manchester United.
Italy had Angelo Peruzzi of Juventus, before a young Gianluigi Buffon burst on to the scene with Parma in the mid-to-late 90s.
Perhaps the biggest compliment you could pay Andy Goram is that he could have gone and played for any of those teams and they would not have been any weaker. Quite the contrary, actually.
This was a man who, in his nine-in-a-row pomp during the 90s, held a legitimate claim to be the best keeper in Europe.
He was Rangers’ undisputed all-time No 1 and was the equal of Seaman (above), Schmeichel, Khan and any other keeper in Europe
Goram left Rangers in 1998 and spent time on loan at Man United, making two league outings
It is a thought which resonates with Craig Brown, who had the unenviable task of trying to pick between Goram and Jim Leighton as Scotland approached Euro 96.
Brown eventually opted for Goram, a decision he would not regret. The former Scotland boss rated Goram and Leighton among the very best in the business.
'We had in my opinion, in Andy and Jim Leighton, the two best goalkeepers in Europe at that time,' said Brown on Saturday in a warm tribute to Goram following his tragic death.
'Andy was the one I selected to play at Euro 96 and I did not regret that because he was outstanding.
'He's a cult hero at Ibrox, no doubt a Rangers legend. Just to be called 'The Goalie' tells you everything. The emphasis is in 'The' because they felt he was 'The' one – the best goalkeeper.
'I remember the late Tommy Burns, the manager of Celtic, saying Andy Goram single-handedly won the title for Rangers one season.
'He was a wonderful goalkeeper and a very popular guy, not only with the Rangers and Scotland players but with the opposing team.
'He had so many attributes to make him such a popular individual. He was a character, full of fun and good-natured. It's a heartbreak to many people hearing this today.'
Not many people can claim to have moved from Motherwell to Manchester United, as Goram did when he was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2001.
Nor can anyone else claim to have played for their country at both football and cricket, two of the more unique entries in the tapestry of Goram's story.
Goram also enjoyed a game of golf and this Sportsmail correspondent had the pleasure of meeting him some years ago at a pro-am event in Troon.
His golf game perhaps wasn't quite up to the same standard as his abilities on a football pitch, but that's no disgrace.
Because on his day, there can be no doubt that Goram belonged in elite company as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation.
Craig Brown (right) had to pick between Goram and Jim Leighton (left) as Scotland approached Euro 96. He went with Goram and said he did not regret his decision
Not only did he play football for his country, he also represented Scotland in cricket
Gordon Smith, the former Rangers, Brighton and Manchester City striker, was another to pay a warm tribute to The Goalie on Saturday.
Smith told of how he had been in Goram's company only a few weeks ago, and how his razor-sharp sense of humour had stayed with him until the very end.
'He was a marvellous goalkeeper - one of the best there's ever been, without a doubt,' said Smith.
'He came to a function about 10 days ago. It was quite amazing that he turned up at it. It was in Airdrie, near the hospice where he was having his treatment.
'He came along with his son on the night. He mentioned a game where I was playing for Manchester City and he was playing for Oldham.
'He said he was delighted to save my penalty that night. He didn't mention the fact that I did score against him later in the game.
In May Goram revealed he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given six months to live
'We always had a laugh about it over the years. It was the only penalty in my career that I actually missed, so I always gave him credit that he saved that one and only penalty.'
Former Ibrox striker Derek Johnstone said of Goram: 'He was a Manchester United fan when he was younger. It gave him the greatest of pleasure to play for them.
'But Rangers were his club up here - he absolutely adored them. The fans loved him as well. He was a man who loved life and loved a laugh.'
Former Rangers boss Alex McLeish, meanwhile, said: 'He was a guy you wanted to be around.
'He was always encouraging people and had a wee joke here and there. It was always a pleasure to see him.
'I'll never forget seeing him at Hampden in his final days and he told me he only had a few weeks. I can't believe it.'
In his prime, Goram made saves which almost defied belief. As the late, great Tommy Burns once remarked: 'Andy Goram broke my heart'.
Former Ibrox striker Derek Johnstone said Goram absolutely adored playing for Rangers
Former Rangers boss Alex McLeish said Goram was always the guy you 'wanted around'
The performances of Allan McGregor over recent seasons have led to comparisons with Goram, and understandably so given some of the saves he's made.
But any suggestion that McGregor is the club's all-time greatest No 1 does feel like a bit of a stretch. Truthfully, Goram remains out on his own.
He could rightly claim to be the best in Europe at one point. There was almost a sense of inevitability that he would make an outrageous save as a striker went through one-on-one.
Plainly, we may never quite see the like of Andy Goram ever again. One of the finest to ever put on a pair of gloves. Farewell, The Goalie.
Gordan Smith (far left), the former Rangers, Brighton and Manchester City striker, was another to pay a warm tribute to The Goalie on Saturday
By Graeme Croser
Andy Goram defied logic, and seemingly his own physiology, with his ability to keep the ball out of the net.
Yet it was on the day he stunned Scottish football by scoring for Hibs that the goalkeeper's aptitude for the extraordinary first exploded to life in front of future Rangers team-mate Derek McInnes.
The occasion was a Premier League fixture at Easter Road in 1988 in which Goram registered the first and only goal of his silver-laden career.
'It was my first league start for Morton,' explains Mail on Sunday columnist McInnes. 'It was a hard pitch and there was sun in our keeper David Wylie's eyes.
The legendary goalkeeper defied logic, and seemingly his own physiology, with his ability to keep the ball out of his own net
'The Goalie kicked it down the slope and it bounced up and over David. I reminded him of that when I later signed at Rangers.
'It's not necessarily the first thing you think of but he did like to join in. He was good with the ball at his feet and his kicking was renowned.'
Born in Lancashire in 1964, Andy took his cues from his Scottish father Lewis, a Rangers fan who had himself kept goal for Hibs and Bury Town.
Released by West Bromwich Albion as a teenager for being too short, Goram bounced back quickly and determinedly to make his first-team debut for Oldham at just 16.
It wouldn't be the last time he would resist the odds and push his body to achievements far beyond men who better fitted the template of what a goalkeeper ought to look like.
Fast-tracked to the Oldham first team, he made 219 appearances for the Boundary Park club and earned his first Scotland cap along the way against East Germany in 1985.
His obvious potential earned him a seat on the plane to the Mexico 86 World Cup where he was back-up to Jim Leighton and Alan Rough.
It was when he stunned Scottish football by scoring for Hibs that his aptitude for the extraordinary first exploded to life
Ripe for a transfer it was Hibs who decided to mount a significant cash bid, paying £325,000 to bring him across the border and closer to his ultimate destination.
At Hibs he made his name as an agile, strong-willed competitor, one who revelled in the Edinburgh derby fixture and enjoyed the challenge of trying to keep the big Glasgow crowds quiet.
All things considered his
